Follow Me Down
by lovesickswallow
Summary: She doesn't care that leaving Whammy's will be dangerous. For a genius, Mello could be quite thick sometimes. Didn't he know that she would follow him all the way down to the depths of hell? If he let her, that is. Mello x OC
1. Chapter 1

**Spelling and grammatical errors are my worst nightmare, so please let me know if you find any! If I owned Death Note, do you think Mello would have died?**

Eva remembered when she had first arrived at the dauntingly large orphanage, home to the most intelligent and lonely children around the world. Or so she was told.

She had gripped Watari's hand with all of her might and wished that she could melt into the floor if it meant that she would not have to endure the heated stares of the other children as she walked inside. She could feel their eyes on her as they summed her up, deciding instantaneously as to whether she would be a threat to them on their mission to succeed L.

In the middle of the intimidating group of children was a boy only a year older than her, blonde hair obscuring her view of his face. From what she could see of him though, he looked like someone she would probably stay away from. He stood at the top of a large staircase, leering at her as she walked towards the main office. She had felt safe when Watari had told her to take a seat inside the homey room, away from any potential harm he may have caused her.

However her sense of security was quickly diminished when Watari sent her back out into the main hallway and told her to find the other children. All very welcoming, he had said. Eva knew the old man had been lying the moment she was shoved roughly to the ground, the same blonde hair from before standing over her menacingly.

"Leave me alone." She had told him, her voice wavering as she tried to remain strong. She noticed another boy standing behind the blonde, preoccupied with a Gameboy held carefully in his hands.

"Are you gonna cry?" The boy had sneered at her, and Eva decided that she would not let herself become a target for this kid. She steeled herself and quickly stood to her feet. If she could stay silent as she watched large men with guns murder her parents, then she could stand up to a stupid bully.

"No." She told him adamantly, and his eyes had narrowed at her. He looked her up and down for a long moment and she remained composed, her arms crossing defensively across her chest. Then, the boy's posture had relaxed slightly and a small smile had appeared on his lips.

"I'm Mello."

Looking back on it, she wondered if she still would have shaken his hand had she known where he would lead her.

* * *

Eva knocked twice on the wooden door in front of her in courtesy before she opened it, waltzing inside to find Matt sitting alone on his bed. He glanced up at her as she entered before his attention returned to the game he would inevitably conquer.

"Where's Mello?" She asked, unable to keep the curiosity out of her voice. Matt shrugged, his eyes still remaining focused on the screen in front of him.

"Roger called him into his office." Eva let out a sigh and collapsed on Mello's bed, fingering his sheets absentmindedly.

"Is he in trouble again?" She exasperated. To her surprise, Matt shook his head lightly. That was odd, Eva thought. No one ever goes into Roger's office unless they were in trouble.

"I think Near is in there too. Seemed sort of weird." Matt told her. Eva was about to push the matter further when the bedroom door was opened roughly and Mello walked in, looking unusually composed. She was immediately suspicious because it was unbelievably rare to see Mello looking anything other than angry or determined. No, something was definitely wrong.

"Mello, is everything-,"

"I'm leaving." Mello cut her off, not sparing either of the confused children a glance as he walked briskly to his cupboard. He pulled out a duffle bag and immediately began stuffing everything he could grab inside, taking extra care to pack each and every chocolate bar he had hidden. Eva leaped off the bed in a panic, her eyes wide.

"What are you talking about? Where are you going?" Even Matt paused his game, looking up at his friend who made no move to answer Eva's frantic questions.

"Tell us what's going on, mate." Matt prompted, and Mello finally turned in their direction. He glanced between the two of them for a moment before uttering the most horrendous words to ever leave his mouth.

"L is dead." His gaze then shot to Eva, who looked absolutely terrified. Mello saw the millions of questions floating around in her big green eyes, but he did not fail to notice that one seemed to stand out among the rest. Are you leaving me? He tore his eyes away and turned to leave but was halted by a small hand gripping tightly to his wrist.

"Let go of me, Eva." He told her firmly, not daring to look back. All she ever caused him was trouble.

"If you're leaving," Eva mumbled, her words getting caught on her tongue and tumbling out of her mouth in a panic. "I'm coming with you." Mello did not allow himself so much as a second to think about it, because that was all it would have taken for him to say yes.

"No." He stated bluntly, and then ripped his hand away from her. He looked back for a moment and saw the look of utter desperation in her eyes. Before he knew it she was pushing past him and walking hastily in the direction of her room. He thought that she accepted his departure almost too easily, but tried not to dwell on the implications.

"Mello." He turned back around at the sound of Matt's voice because he knew that the gamer would not try to stop him, only offer his support. "Take care of yourself, alright?" The brown haired boy told him, and Mello gave a brisk nod.

Matt stood from his bed and approached him quickly, taking a moment to wrap his arms around his friend in a chaste hug. Mello thought it was perhaps the most affection they had ever shared in all the years of their friendship. When Matt released him, Mello turned sharply and walked out of his bedroom door, ready to leave Whammy's house behind for good.

Eva, on the other hand, was not willing to let him do that. Not without her, that was. And so she stood firmly at the gates of the orphanage she had called her home, clutching a small backpack under her arm as she fought off the cold. Her knees shook and she could feel her lips turning blue but there was nothing she could do about it because she had not yet purchased a winter coat. Roger had promised to take her out shopping next week.

When she saw a silhouette appear from inside the house she stood up straighter, allowing a hard composure to take residence over her features. Mello cursed when he saw her, but approached her with a slightly quicker pace.

"What are you doing?" He asked when he was within earshot. Eva was relieved that he was not angry, or at least not as angry as she expected. Perhaps this would be easier than she had thought.

"I told you I'm coming with you." She replied immediately. Mello stopped in front of her a moment later and took in her appearance, dressed in only her black jeans and a flimsy singlet.

"And I told you no." Eva growled at his stubbornness and let go of her backpack, using both of her hands and all of her strength to effectively shove the infuriating boy.

"Fuck you, Mello! You think I'll let you leave me behind here?" Mello let out a sigh and glanced at her a moment longer, internally debating with himself.

Sure, it would be fine and dandy for them to hold hands and skip off into the sunset together, but that wasn't going to happen and Mello didn't think she quite understood that. But the only reason he had befriended her to begin with was her strong composure, so maybe he was underestimating her. He was quite literally pushed from his thoughts when her hands hit his chest again and, caught off guard, he fell backwards into the snow that had begun to collect on the driveway.

"Cut it out!" He yelled at her angrily, standing back up abruptly. She snarled at him lightly and Mello rolled his eyes, realising that she had just convinced him on his decision. He shrugged out of his large jacket, instantly missing the protection against the cold that he was offered from the fur around the hood. She looked at him in confusion as he offered the jacket to her, his arm outstretched and his eyes looking anywhere but at her.

"What are-,"

"Fucking take it!" He snapped, waving the jacket slightly until her slender fingers took it from his grasp. "You're gonna be cold out here, otherwise. Can't have you dying of frostbite on me." He muttered, his eyes finally shooting back down to her. She smiled widely at him as she pulled the jacket on, appreciating the long sleeves that protected her hands from the chill.

"It's wet." Eva commented, frowning slightly up at Mello as he walked out through the large iron gates of the orphanage. She heard him scoff from in front of her as she rushed to catch up to him.

"It's your own fault, idiot." He told her with disdain and she grinned up at him, unable to contain her happiness in that moment. Mello thought she must have been crazy to be so happy to leave her home, but he didn't understand. She wasn't leaving her home; she was running away with it. With him. Because her home was his hand in hers and she would follow him to the ends of the Earth if he would let her.

**Leave me a review and tell me what to think, and don't forget to follow and favourite this story if you deem it worthy! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own death note. I hope you like it! **

Winchester, Eva decided, was a terrifying place to be in the depths of the night. Large shadows peer down at those who dare to roam the streets, eerie silhouettes lurking around every corner. Regardless of the fear that bubbled up inside of her, Eva refused to show that she was afraid. The wind bit at her skin and she pulled Mello's coat further around her small frame, grateful for the warmth it offered.

Mello breathed out an elongated sigh and the pair watched as his breath turned to white mist in front of them before evaporating a moment later. He was so god damned cold, but there was no way he was going to tell her that. If he did, Eva would just give him back his stupid jacket and then she would be left to feel the frost.

"So uh," Eva's voice cut through the silence and Mello glanced over at her, thankful for the distraction from the icy temperature. "What's the plan?" Mello contemplated this for a moment, hesitant about divulging exactly what it was he planned to do. Mello knew her well enough to know she would not be happy.

"If I want to take down Near, I'll need power." He started, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the ground as they walked aimlessly through the streets. "Who has power?" Mello looked in her direction and Eva shrugged, hating when she did not understand the things that Mello was saying. She hated for him to think of her as being stupid.

"Who?" She finally gave in, admitting her ignorance.

"The mafia." Eva stopped, staring wide eyed at Mello as if he truly had gone insane. Mello let out another sigh because he knew that she would react badly to this idea, but he also knew that it was his best option if he wanted to succeed.

"You're kidding." Eva stated, not even daring to form a question from the words. Mello glanced back at her from where he had stopped, a few paces ahead, and she saw the serious expression etched on his face and felt her heart sink. "You're not kidding."

Mello kept walking, and Eva stood in shock for another moment before chasing after the bob of blonde hair.

"You didn't have to come, you know…" Mello told her casually, beginning to feel frustrated at her shock. Surely she had known him long enough to understand that there was nothing he wouldn't do if it meant getting the upper hand. Sometimes Mello wondered if he paid more attention to her than she did him, somehow.

"Of course I had to come." Eva snapped back, equally as frustrated with Mello's nonchalant form.

"Anyway," Mello continued, either unaware of her annoyance or choosing to ignore it entirely. "First I need to find them. I know someone who will probably have what I need, but I'm guessing it'll cost me." With his choice of words, Eva suddenly realised the major flaw in their plan.

"What are we going to do about money?" She gasped. After all, Mello was only 15 and she only 14, how could they possibly support themselves?!

"Inheritance, I was thinking. Every Whammy's kid gets a chunk when they leave." Eva felt her panic begin to fade, until Mello opened his big mouth again. "That's how I'll find out where the mafia is. I'll use our inheritance."

Eva almost couldn't believe what he was telling her. How could he be so careless about something so important? They needed money to eat and to survive, and Mello planned to go and give it all away to some sleazebag in exchange for information on the _mafia_? Eva suddenly felt that maybe it would have been best if she had stayed behind at Whammy's, after all.

She shook her head quickly to rid herself of such foolish thoughts, and instead focused her energy into anger directed at the reckless boy beside her. Mello suddenly felt a great force being exerted on him, and he turned to see Eva shoving him hard.

"You idiot! What are we going to do about food then, huh?" Mello hadn't really considered that detail in the grand scheme of things, he'll admit, but still failed to see the big deal about it.

"I dunno, steal it? It's not like we need much anyways." He shrugged and Eva scoffed dramatically.

"Yeah, and risk all those Kira freaks sacrificing us to their god." From where Eva stood, this plan was beginning to seem more and more unrealistic.

"I doubt Kira would be bothered by two petty, adolescent criminals. We'll be fine." Mello told her, his tone of voice alerting her to the fact that the conversation was now over. The last thing they needed was to argue, so she bit her tongue and kept her sour words from coming out.

Mello turned suddenly, venturing into an alleyway that he spotted to their left. He had noticed a small area of the concrete that had not being covered in snow, seemingly protected from an overhanging roof belonging to an apartment higher up.

"We'll stay here for tonight. Find someplace safer tomorrow when the sun comes back up." Mello stated, dumping his duffle bag down onto the ground and collapsing beside it. Eva sat hesitantly on the cold ground beside him and pulled her knees up to her chest, feeling absolutely miserable with the situation.

It wasn't so bad, she thought, as she looked around the little alley. It was quite narrow, so the chance of a gang sneaking up on them without them hearing was relatively slim. She tried not to think about the fact that the possibility still very much _did_ exist, and that they were in potential danger every moment they spent away from the orphanage.

There was also the fact that a large dumpster sat beside them and, if she ignored the smell, it proved rather useful at blocking the wind from hitting them quite so hard. Still, she couldn't help but think of how much more comfortable she would be curled up in her bed at Whammy's.

She noticed the prominent goose bumps littering Mello's arms and quickly shrugged off his large jacket, throwing it over the both of them. Although Mello was frustrated that she had ignored his protests, he wouldn't argue because he could finally feel his fingers again and his body was slowly defrosting.

"This guy," Eva spoke after quite some time and, after the words had left her lips, she feared Mello might have fallen asleep. She stayed quiet as she waited for some indication that he was listening and relaxed slightly when she heard him grunt lightly from beside her. "This guy, the one that will help you find the mafia… When will you talk to him?" Mello contemplated this for a long moment, and Eva feared that maybe he really had fallen asleep after all.

"Tomorrow." He finally stated, and Eva couldn't help but feel panic rise up inside of her once more.

"So soon?" She asked timidly, and finally she felt a single tear break past her carefully built barrier and roll down her cheek. Mello noticed when she quickly wiped it away, and he was silent for another moment before he suddenly pulled her into him.

He wrapped his arm carefully around her shoulders and Eva hesitantly laid her head in the crook of his neck, one arm draping carefully over his chest. She felt Mello's stiffness underneath her and knew that he was not familiar with the art of comforting. His inexperience didn't matter, though. She was just grateful for the much needed gesture.

"Preserving body heat." He mumbled, as though she needed a reason to feel his arm wrapped around her. She felt him slowly relax and her eyes drifted closed, where she quickly fell in to a light and dreamless sleep.

**This one is a bit shorter than the last, but the next chapter is going to be super long to make up for it! Please tell me what you thought? A follow and/or favourite will highly encourage me to write faster and update quicker! Thank you to those who told me they enjoyed the last chapter, I appreciate it! x**


	3. Chapter 3

Eva was abruptly awoken the following morning by the sound of a car horn, blasting far too loudly in her ears. It took her a long moment to realise that it had sounded so close because it _was, _and when she remembered where she had slept she felt her heart sink ever so slightly.

"Mello." She nudged the boy beside her lightly and he bolted awake. Eva thought that he was perhaps the lightest sleeper she had ever known but found comfort in the fact, given the danger of their situation. At least Mello would realise if anyone tried to kidnap them whilst they slept. Eva, on the other hand, could sleep through a nuclear explosion.

"What time is it?" He asked her, pushing himself to his feet and stretching dramatically. Eva gazed at the small watch fastened around her wrist and read the time to be just after seven. "I need to leave straight away. I don't know how long it'll take me to find the guy I'm looking for." Mello glanced back at her at the sound of her grumbling stomach and she clutched it quickly, trying in vain to hide the obnoxious sound. "You're hungry?"

"No! I'm fine." Eva replied quickly, desperately wanting not to be a burden. Mello let out a sigh and hung his head for a moment before turning back to face her.

"While I'm gone I want you to stay here. Do you understand? I'll try to be back before dark." Eva furrowed her eyebrows because that sounded entirely absurd. How could she just sit around for ten hours and do nothing?

"Shouldn't I be doing something? I could find us food, or-,"

"I don't want you to get hurt. It's dangerous by yourself, so try to stay out of sight." Mello paused then, and crouched down. He slid his hand into the pocket of the jacket that lay lopsided on top of Eva, retrieving a switchblade from inside. "If anyone tries to touch you, use this." Eva nodded her head slowly as she carefully took the blade, sliding it into her pocket. She tried not to imagine that she would ever have to inflict pain on someone, but her pessimistic side told her that was probably wishful thinking.

"Fine. I'll be here, waiting." Eva finally told him and Mello gave a curt nod, looking her over for another moment before he quickly straightened and headed out of the small alley. Eva watched as he walked, his silhouette getting smaller and smaller before he disappeared around the corner and out of sight.

Almost immediately Eva stood, shrugging on the jacket Mello had left behind and heading towards the opening on the other end of the alley. Like hell she would sit and do nothing all day, she thought. She would find them some food, at the very least.

She walked slowly through the streets of Winchester, busy with early morning traffic as people rushed to work or school, or wherever it was they had to be. She vaguely wondered what it would be like to have a normal life, to go to a normal school, but quickly discarded the thought. A short while into her walk she noticed a small fruit stand on the side of the road, the vendor busy as he engaged in small talk with a customer.

_If I could just swipe a couple of apples…_ Eva thought, quickening her pace as she approached the stall. She surveyed the owner carefully as she passed him and was relieved to find he was completely distracted, caught up in whatever conversation he might have been having. She walked briskly past the tray of apples, conveniently placed at the very front of the store on display for passers-by's. As she passed the juicy red fruit she extended her hand and carefully took hold of two, returning them to the pocket of Mello's large coat.

Her heart nearly stopped beating when she felt a hand grab a hold of her arm and for a moment she thought Kira had gotten her. She was turned roughly around and found herself face to face with an older man, although thankfully not the owner of the store. This small fact did not relieve Eva in the slightest and she held her breath as the man looked at her with angry eyes.

"That's dangerous business these days, girlie." The man told her gruffly before his eyes quickly darted around. A moment later he was pulling her across the road and further down the street, his hand still holding tightly to her arm. Eva panicked and reached her free hand into the pocket of her jeans, her fingers finding the switchblade that had been hidden inside. She pulled it out and quickly opened the blade, not taking a moment to think before she stabbed it into the man's large hand.

He withdrew his grasp immediately and Eva took off the moment she was free, running in the opposite direction. She heard him mutter a curse behind her and turned to find him chasing after her and, to her horror, gaining speed on her rapidly. He caught her not a moment later and wrapped both of his arms around her middle, lifting her carefully off of the ground to immobilise her.

"Let go of me!" Eva screamed before he placed his hand over her mouth, muffling her cries. She tried to stab the blade into his arm but he took it from her with his free hand and she realised how weak she really was. If she got out of this alive, she decided she needed to lift some weights or something.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." The man told her hurriedly, carefully lowering her back onto the ground. "Please, calm down. You're homeless, aren't you? I can help you." She thought about his words for a long moment before she nodded her head slowly, figuring it was at least worth a try. If worst came to be, she could probably scream loud enough to draw some attention.

He hesitantly withdrew his hand from around her mouth and, when she did not scream, he let go of her entirely. She turned around the moment she was free and looked at the man with narrowed eyes. He looked harmless enough, she thought. She noticed his hand bleeding and found herself feeling bad for the guy. After all, if he really did mean what he said then he was just trying to help her.

"What do you want?" She asked quickly, her stance defensive.

"You gotta be pretty desperate nowadays to risk thieving. If you're not homeless, then you're insane." Eva studied the man carefully as he spoke because she'd always had good intuition as to whether someone was lying or not. It was one of her talents back at Whammy's. She relaxed slightly when she saw no faults in what he said.

"What's it to you?" She replied and the man smiled slightly.

"You sure are feisty for one so young, aren't you?" When Eva didn't reply, he promptly continued. "I was much like yourself not too long ago. A home just up the block took me in. They have a spare room at present, if you're interested." Eva felt a glimmer of hope at his statement, although it was quickly eradicated when she thought of Mello. He would be furious if he discovered that she had so easily trusted a stranger on the street. No, she could not risk it. She eyed the switchblade that the man now clasped in his hand, inching slightly closer towards him.

"Please, give me back my knife. It's all I have to defend myself, I'm sure you can understand that." She told him carefully, appealing to his sympathetic side. She saw his eyes soften and he looked between her and the knife for a moment before he extended it towards her. She promptly grabbed it and stuffed it back into the pocket of Mello's coat.

"I'm sorry about your hand, I really am. And thanks for the offer, but I'm doing just fine on my own." She told him curtly, taking small steps as she slowly backed away. Eva noticed the look of sadness in his eyes but didn't dwell on it. After all, this man hadn't a clue as to her situation. She had Mello.

She turned around entirely and took large steps as she walked back towards the alley she had been instructed to wait in. When she returned, she slowly sat back against the wall and let herself drop to the ground. Her hands immediately retrieved one of the apples that she had swiped and she eagerly bit into it. She didn't think she had ever tasted an apple quite so satisfying.

She waited all day, staring numbly at the empty space around her as she waited begrudgingly for Mello to return. As the hours ticked by, she couldn't help but feel her worry growing steadily inside of her. _What if something happened to him? _She panicked when she realised that he probably didn't even have a weapon, having given her his knife. Although she hoped that he would not be that foolish, Eva knew that Mello often did strange things to protect her.

She remembered once, back when she was new at Whammy's, he had made another boy eat a Lego because he had teased Eva. Thinking about it now, she realised that Mello had always been quick to protect her from anything that tried to hurt her. She would have to remember to thank him for that, when he returned.

It was just after sunset that she finally saw a figure appear around the corner of the alley. She was concerned for a moment that it was a strange man coming to take her, but relaxed when she saw his blonde hair bobbing up and down as he approached her. She smiled widely at him, relieved that he was still in one piece.

"Mello!" She chirped, stumbling to her feet to greet him.

"We're leaving." Mello told her abruptly and Eva blinked.

"What? I don't-,"

"We have to go to L.A. Tonight." Eva stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Why?! Did something happen?" She asked quickly and Mello shook his head. She looked him up and down quickly, searching for something that could be wrong, anything that could give her a hint as to what he was talking about.

"If you must know, I found the man I needed to talk to and he advised me the most powerful mafia groups are in America. He made a few calls, there's a man in Los Angeles that's willing to meet with me. We need to leave right away." Eva felt a swell of emotions inside of her at his words. This was her _home_. She didn't know if she was really prepared to leave it, not _entirely_, not yet. She felt herself slowly shaking her head and Mello let out a sigh, almost as if he were expecting that reaction.

"I understand. The plane is leaving in one hour, so I need to go." Mello looked down at her coolly, refusing to let his emotions get the better of him. Not this time. He couldn't succumb to the throb in his heart because this was his only chance to beat Near once and for all, and there was absolutely no way that he could pass it up. Eva swallowed thickly and realised that there would be no negotiating with him, no talking him out of it. She realised that he had set his mind on this, and Mello's determination was one of the most intense things she had ever seen. She sighed, pushing her feelings back down inside of her and doing what she had to do.

"No, I'll come." She told him curtly as she shrugged off his jacket, quickly giving it back to him. She didn't feel like being so close to him right at that moment, and his scent on the jacket was sending an array of unwanted emotions through her.

Mello shrugged it on and pushed his hands into the pockets, feeling both the blade and the apple inside. He carefully pulled at the apple and glanced at it for a moment before he looked up at Eva, entirely ignorant as she walked a few paces ahead of him. He was far too tired to argue with her so he let out a small sigh, reluctantly giving in and taking a bite out of the apple.

As he chewed, he pulled out the switchblade and opened it quickly, faltering when he noticed the blood that had dried on the blade. As much as he tried not to, he couldn't help the tangent that his mind ventured onto, full of horrid ideas as to what she had possibly done. For a brief moment, he wondered if she had killed someone for the apples. But then he realised that was absurd because she was Eva and besides, no one would kill for _apples_.

Mello forced the thoughts aside and stuffed the blade back into his pocket, feeling the need to remind her that he was in charge. He would never forgive himself if she did something like this again and was hurt in the process. She had to learn to listen to him.

"I told you not to go anywhere. If you don't start listening to me, I'll leave you behind." Mello noticed the way her shoulders slumped as she listened to his harsh words and he briefly wondered how far he could push her before she broke, and left him once and for all. As much as he tried not to be, Mello was selfish when it came to Eva and, if he could help it, he would make sure that she stayed with him forever.

**Thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed this story so far, I'm glad people like it! Things are going to take a bit of a turn in the next chapter, so it'll be a little darker (fair warning). Still, I hope you enjoy! Leave a review! x**


	4. Chapter 4

They spent three days wandering aimlessly in Los Angeles before Mello finally received word from the mafia. During those three days, Mello was able to find the two of them a small motel room within their budget. As long as no excessive amounts of money were expended, they calculated that they could pay for the room for at least two months.

The motel room was cramped and smelt faintly like urine, and Eva thought it was better suited to a low-class hooker and her sleazy customers as opposed to her and Mello. She tried not to complain, though. After all, it was ten times better than sleeping on the street.

On the fourth day in the foreign country, Mello left early in the morning to meet up with a man willing to give him a chance. Mello had been told next to nothing about this man, other than his name – Rod Ross. He later learnt that this man was quite well respected within one of the most powerful mafia groups currently in America. He was also the man who had so graciously paid for both Mello and Eva's flight from England.

"How old are you, boy?" The man had asked Mello, who had scowled and reluctantly divulged his young age. This caused the man to let out a low whistle before a bellowing laugh erupted from his chest. Mello was humiliated, to say the least.

They were sat in a crowded diner no more than a ten-minute walk from the motel. Mello hoped that Rod Ross had not planned this intentionally, because that meant he was aware of where Mello was staying. That also conceived the possibility of this man knowing about Eva, which was a thought that made Mello's skin crawl.

"You got potential, kid. But you're ignorant. Don't come back until you're serious about this shit." Rod Ross had told him sternly, and then proceeded to spit disdainfully. Mello stared harshly at the man, a mixture of embarrassment and anger bubbling inside of him, before he had made a speedy retreat back to the motel.

"You're back so soon." Eva announced upon his arrival, and Mello scowled at her in warning. "What happened?" He ignored her question and collapsed on the bed, clasping his hands together in front of him as he thought up a plan.

_Don't come back until you're serious._ Mello thought about the belittling words, repeating them several times in his head as his brain ticked. After some time, he let out a sigh and decided that there was nothing for it but to _show_ them that he was serious. After all, Mello had always liked to make a statement.

Eva was disheartened when he left in the early hours of the morning each day of the following week, offering her next to no explanation when he disappeared. And while he was out, Eva followed his instructions obediently and stayed put in the motel room. She did not step foot outside the doors and she did not try to make herself useful in anyway. She just sat around, as Mello had requested, and waited for his return each day.

This routine continued on through the entirety of the month, and during that time Mello rarely spared her a moment. He left early in the mornings and returned late at nights and he felt exhausted both physically and mentally. After two weeks of this strange behaviour, Eva asked the question that he had desperately hoped not to have to deal with.

"What is it exactly that you do every day? You look exhausted." Eva mumbled quietly as they lay in bed, an arms length between them. They both stared numbly at the ceiling, and Mello slowly turned his head towards her. She mimicked the action.

She felt her body stiffen when she caught the look in his eyes, so sad and so terrifying at the same time. It scared her more than anything she had ever seen and as much as she wanted to ask him about it, make sure he wasn't in trouble, she decided not to push him any further.

* * *

The sound of a rasping at the door startled her from her writing and she looked towards the door curiously. In the month that they had been there, not a single person had knocked on the door. She hesitantly moved towards it and cursed when she realised there was no peephole. Knowing vaguely what it was Mello was getting involved with, Eva felt a part of her screaming not to open that door. What if something had gone terribly wrong and there were mafia people here to kidnap her?

"Anyone home? It's Tom, from the front office." Eva hesitated a moment longer, letting out a long breath and reluctantly opening the door. She felt relief flush over her when she saw a vaguely familiar face in front of her, and she quickly identified him as the man they had spoken to upon first arriving.

"Sorry for the intrusion." The man smiled at her and Eva nodded slightly. "Look, you're, uh," he paused, eyebrows pulling together as he looked for the right word. "The guy you're staying here with, he only gave me enough money for one month."

"Oh!" Eva exclaimed, turning her head back inside of the room. She looked at the drawer in which they had hid all the money that they had. "How much is it?" She asked, and the man looked relieved that she had not yelled at him.

"$300 for the month." He told her happily, and Eva nodded.

"Just one moment." She told the man before walking quickly back inside the room. She opened the drawer and moved aside the clothes, confused to find no money hidden inside. She quickly lifted different pieces of clothing up, looking carefully for the money that had somehow vanished.

"Is there a problem?" The man asked from the doorway and Eva hesitantly turned back to face him, a painfully fake smile etched onto her face to hide her panic.

"No! Not at all." Eva looked the man carefully up and down, trying to decide how best to go about this situation. He looked nice enough, Eva thought. "Look… Would it be too much trouble to ask for another couple of days before I give you that money? You'll have it by the end of the week, I swear!" She felt ashamed at herself for practically begging and she made a mental note to strangle the life out of Mello when he returned home.

"I understand. Just make sure you have it in a week, or my boss will kill me." He told her kindly before quickly retreating from the doorway of the room. Eva let out a sigh of relief and fell back into her chair, trying to figure out what Mello was thinking. She hoped desperately that there was a logical explanation to this, but had a terrible feeling that Mello had done something incredibly stupid.

She sat quietly in her chair as she thought about the situation and was surprised to hear the front door open not too long later. She glanced at the glowing red numbers displayed on the clock. 4:53. He was home early.

"Hey." Mello muttered as he threw his coat down onto the bed, taking a few steps towards her. He glanced down at all the words scrawled onto pieces of paper in front of her and absent-mindedly read a few paragraphs. He always loved to read the things she wrote, especially when they were about him.

"What happened to our money?" Eva asked him dully and Mello paused, his eyes stopping scanning the words and shooting to her cold expression.

"I had to use it." He stated simply, watching her carefully as her eyebrows pulled together and her eyes narrowed. She suddenly dropped her head between her legs, her elbows resting on her knees as her hands hung limply.

"What did you do?" She muttered quietly, though Mello realised she was not expecting an answer. She let out a sigh and stood up, her eyes still cold and distant. "What are we supposed to do about the motel? How are we gonna pay to keep living here?" She asked him, and Mello looked back at her with eyes just as icy.

"You could get a job." He snapped at her, and he could have sworn he saw fire in her eyes. She stormed towards him, quickly covering the space between them, and pushing him hard.

"You're going blame this on _me_? If you'd just fucking _asked_ me to help in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation!" She growled, and Mello felt his anger increasing at an alarming rate. She moved her hands to shove him again but he grabbed them before they could reach his chest. He held her wrists tightly and Eva looked up at him in surprise.

"Don't push me like that." He told her sternly, and watched as her eyes narrowed once again. She struggled out of his grasp and, once free, she immediately shoved him back again. Mello felt himself practically seething and did not realise when he raised his hand, only registered what he had done after her head had swung roughly to the side.

Eva stayed with her head turned for a long moment, her dark locks covering her face as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Her cheek stung like hell and she felt her eyes brimming with water as she stood, frozen. He had _hit _her.

"Eva-," Mello started, reaching his hand out towards her. She quickly pushed it away and shoved past him, her head hung low as she walked briskly towards the door. She heard his heavy footsteps following after her and quickened her pace, opening the front door and stepping outside for the first time in what felt like forever. The cold, late afternoon air hit her face and she revelled in it, although it was nothing compared to the chill of England.

She did not stop to appreciate it however, but walked quickly towards the street not too far away. She could hear Mello calling after her but refused to turn around. She didn't think she would be able to keep it together if she looked at him, and Eva refused to let him see her break. When she reached the street, she turned left onto the sidewalk and tried not to think about the fact that she had just walked out wearing nothing but her jeans and a thin silk singlet, hidden under Mello's coat.

It was a nice change, to be outside, and she took a long walk to calm herself down. As her breathing returned to normal and the water that brimmed in her eyes disappeared, she gradually felt her anger dissolve. She wouldn't stay mad at Mello, she knew. To her, the slap was not a big deal. After all, she hit him all the time.

When it came to Eva and Mello, they were equally matched in everything that they did. That included fighting, as far as Eva was concerned, and she knew that Mello would not do anything he didn't think that she could handle. It shouldn't have made it a big deal.

She barely noticed when the sun set, and it was quite some time before she finally decided to check her watch. 8:03. How could she have let herself stay out so long? Mello would be worried about her.

Eva quickly turned back in the direction of the motel and walked slowly, not wishing to leave the outside world any sooner than she had to. Her face still stung and she was somewhat annoyed that Mello blamed _her_ for their money problems. She decided that she would have to find a job the following morning to prove him wrong. However, this did not solve the problem of the rent. Eva wasn't sure, but she didn't think you were paid in less than a week after starting a new job. They needed money _now._

She stopped just around the corner from the motel, closing her eyes for a long moment and taking a deep breath. The air was more polluted than what she was used to, but at least it was fresher than what she had been breathing in that stuffy motel room. She tried to gather her thoughts, collect herself before she faced Mello again. The beep of a horn was what made her eyes snap open.

She saw a man, no older than 40, sitting in a car in front of her. He had pulled over to the side of the road and had one arm hanging out his window, his fingers pointing in her general direction. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Hey, you free?" He asked her quickly, and she blinked slowly. It registered in her mind a moment later and her mouth dropped open a little. Did this man think she was… a _prostitute? _"How much do you charge?" He proceeded to ask, and she simply stared at him. Her initial reaction was to give him the finger and quickly retreat back to the motel.

However, as her brain ticked she found her thoughts falling to a truly terrifying place. She needed money. She needed to prove to Mello that she was not useless. She needed to prove to _herself_ that she was not useless.

She was horrified at the words that finally came out of her mouth. "300." She gulped, watching as the man looked her up and down carefully.

Sex was not a big deal to Eva. She had never thought of it as being something particularly momentous, and the idea of virginity being something precious and special seemed downright pretentious. Still, she had never envisioned her 'first time' to be with a stranger who picked her up on the streets of Los Angeles. This did not upset her, though.

What _did_ upset her was the idea of Mello finding out. She knew that he would look at her with complete disappointment in his eyes, maybe even think she was dirty. She decided that if she really was to do this, he simply could never find out.

"That's an awful lot of money. What are you, a virgin or something?" He asked her gruffly, and Eva hesitated a moment before she slowly nodded her head. The man's eyes seemed to bulge slightly and a wide grin spread across his face. The look sent chills up Eva's spine and she felt her resolve quickly crumbling.

"So?" Eva asked as her foot began tapping nervously on the ground. She looked around out of some irrational fear that Mello would be there, watching as she sold herself to a strange man for the night. She was alone.

"Get in." Eva looked at the dimly lit motel sign just up ahead for a moment before she let out a breath and climbed into the passenger seat of the man's car. As they drove silently past her motel room, she couldn't help but wonder if Mello was lying awake inside, wondering where she was.

...

**So this chapter is a fair bit longer.. Things also ****_escalate _****a bit in this chapter... This story is going to get a little bit darker I'm sure you can all see, I hope you still enjoy it because I think it'll be pretty interesting! Anyway, let me know what you though please I would really appreciate some feedback! x**


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, kid, you gotta leave." Eva groaned, burying her face deeper into the plush pillow. She didn't think she had slept on a mattress quite so soft in a while, and she wanted to sink into it entirely. "I'm not joking around." Eva furrowed her eyebrows, reality not quite registering in her mind. She rolled over onto her back and her eyes shot open at the sudden pain between her legs. _Oh._

She looked to where the man stood at the foot of the bed, a scowl on his face. She remembered what had happened the night before, and a sinking feeling erupted in the pit of her stomach. "I'm so sorry, I'll leave now." She mumbled, trying to contain her wince as she sat up slowly.

She saw her jeans lying on the ground beside the bed and she glanced hesitantly at the man, reluctant to expose her body to him again. He stood firmly, unaware of her fear, and she silently pushed aside her dignity and let the covers fall away from her. She had put her under garments back on the night before, but was bare except for those, and she could feel his eyes on her. She pulled her clothes on quickly, pain shooting up between her legs with every sudden movement she made.

"Hurry it up, my wife will be home later this morning." Eva froze, turning with wide eyes towards the man. She didn't even know his name.

"Y-you're… wife?" She stuttered. She was disgusted with herself, as well as this man. What they had done was entirely wrong and she could feel her resolve quickly crumbling. Perhaps she was not as strong as Mello had thought. _Mello._ His name almost brought tears to her eyes in that moment, and the need to curl herself up in his arms was overwhelming. She needed Mello.

"Look, kid, it's clear you're new to this. I'll give you a piece of advice," the man spoke without emotion, his face indifferent. "Judgment won't do you any good with your clients. Other men won't be as gentle as I am." He smirked at this comment and Eva stopped herself from scoffing. Gentle? Him? It was his fault she felt like screaming in pain with every step that she took. He was _not_ gentle, Eva knew for sure.

Now fully dressed, she gently moved her weight from one foot to the other as she waited anxiously for the man to pay her. She didn't know how to go about asking for the money, and a part of her was terrified he would not give her anything. What would she do? This would all have been for nothing.

"You want the money, right?" He asked her, and she stared with wide eyes before nodding her head firmly. She had to snap out of this helpless little girl act! This wasn't like her, at all. To her relief, the man bent over and retrieved his wallet from his discarded slacks, pulling out a stack of bills. "300, was it?" Eva nodded again, her nerves building as she watched him pull three thin notes from the wad and offer them to her.

She took them gently and looked down, seeing that she had been given three $100 bills. Stuffing them into the pocket of her jacket, she took a deep breath before looking back up at the man. He looked impatiently at her, as if she was causing him a huge inconvenience.

"Thank you." She told him quietly before beginning to walk out of the room. As she inconspicuously limped past him, she felt a hand land firmly on her ass, slapping her roughly through her jeans.

"Thank _you._" He smirked as Eva turned back towards him, and she swallowed down the lump in her throat as she quickly proceeded out of his house. She looked around in confusion, taking a moment before she recognised something from her surroundings.

She headed in the direction of the motel, hardly realising the hot streams of tears running silently down her face. She decided it would be better to cry now, than in front of Mello later. In fact, she would not tell him about this at all, if she could help it. She wondered if Mello would be there when she returned, and she found herself unsure of whether or not she wanted him to be. Would he still be mad?

Eva found herself walking towards the gate of the motel not ten minutes later and quickly composed herself. She wiped her cheeks fiercely and took a deep breath, returning her walking to an almost normal state and supressing the pain that shot through her.

Inside the motel room, she found Mello sitting on the end of their bed. His elbows rested on his parted legs and his arms and head drooped. Because of the blonde hair obscuring his face, Eva could not see his expression. Mello looked up slowly at the sound of the door opening and closing and felt relief wash through him at the sight of Eva standing by the door. With a quick scan of her, Mello decided that she was okay.

"Where the fuck have you been?" He asked her quietly, not nearly enough malice in his voice as he would have liked. Eva noticed the deep bags under his eyes and wondered if he had slept at all last night. She felt herself becoming emotional at the mere thought of him caring about her that much.

"I… I slept on the street. I was angry at you." She told him, reluctantly moving from her spot by the door. She knew it would seem strange for her to continue standing there, but she knew it would seem just as strange for her to limp over to him. She put on a brave face and strode towards the bed, slowly sitting down beside him. She didn't fail to notice the way his eyes watched her carefully while she walked.

"I searched the streets. You weren't there." Eva gulped. Was he bluffing? No, she was sure that he wasn't. Eva knew Mello, perhaps better than anyone, and she was sure that he was telling the truth. She felt simultaneously touched and panicked.

"T-that's because I… I walked for a long time b-before I stopped. You probably didn't look far enough away." She spat out nervously. Mello narrowed his eyes at her and, with their closer proximity, he noticed several small bruises littered the skin of her neck. Looking further, he noticed the same bruises on her arms, exposed once she had removed her jacket beside him.

Although she faced straight ahead she could notice his staring from the corner of her eye and slowly, she trailed her eyes down to the skin of her arm. Noticing the bruises, she cursed herself silently and moved quickly to wrap her hands over herself. It was too late.

"What happened?" Mello asked her calmly, but Eva heard the underlying anger in his words. Oh, he was _furious._ Furious at whom, Eva was unsure. She didn't answer, and Mello clenched his fists. "Did someone do this to you because you were sleeping on the streets?"

Eva turned her head in his direction and studied his face for a moment before nodding slowly, feeling her heart breaking at the furious lie she was telling him. But this was the only way, she decided. Telling him the truth would end terribly, no matter which way Eva sliced it. "Yeah, I didn't see their faces." She muttered, and then looked away from him once more.

"Why didn't you use my switchblade?" Mello demanded angrily, reaching over her frail body to his jacket. He pulled it across her and dug his hand into the pocket, searching desperately for the knife he was _sure_ he had left in the pocket. He had decided to keep it in there since Eva wore his jacket so often. It made him feel better to know she had a way to protect herself. He had never considered that she wouldn't use it.

"Mello!" Eva shouted out, reaching desperately for the coat as he shoved his hand into one pocket after another. Finding the outside pockets empty, he moved his hand into the inside pocket. Eva's heart sunk as his hand delved into it, and Mello paused when he felt something strange inside. He glanced up at Eva and the look on her face told him it was something she didn't want him to see.

Mello felt a strange sense of betrayal at the idea that Eva kept things hidden from him, and he snatched the strange object from the pocket and pulled it in front of his eyes. His brow furrowed when he realised it was a money bill, and his confusion increased when he saw the little $100 in the corner.

"Please, stop. It doesn't matter, I'm fine aren't I?" Eva spoke desperately, not thinking about the words coming out of her mouth. She was just trying to say _something_ that would make him stop. Mello looked at her for a moment before shoving his hand back into the pocket, feeling two more notes inside. "Mello…" Eva whispered in a final plea as he pulled the notes out, looking over the three sheets of paper silently.

Everything clicked into place suddenly and Mello felt a pang in his chest at the realisation. Surely, she hadn't… Had she? His head shot around to her and he saw the broken look in her eyes. More than that, he saw the tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. Eva never cried, Mello knew. Never.

"What did you do…" He asked quietly, ignoring the way his voice broke half way through the short sentence. He was terrified. Eva didn't say anything, and Mello felt his panic growing. "Eva!" He spoke louder, and she jumped slightly from the force of his voice.

"I solved the money problem." She said quietly, and Mello exhaled shakily.

"I didn't… Why…" He found it difficult to form a coherent sentence as he stared at her small body, shaking lightly, now. He realised that she was waiting for him to yell. Perhaps she thought he would hit her again, Mello thought with a shiver.

He let out a painful sigh and placed one arm around her, pulling her into him. His other arm wrapped around the other side of her and he hugged her close to his chest, burying his face into the top of her head and closing his eyes tightly. "I'm so sorry, Eva." He whispered.

Eva felt frozen, her eyes wide as she listened to the words fall from Mello's lips. He wasn't mad? He pulled her away slightly to look her firmly in her eyes, and Eva gasped as she saw the moisture on his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry I let this happen. I'll never let anyone hurt you like this again." Mello pulled her back into him and wrapped his arms impossibly tight around her, and Eva felt a sob break free from her chest. Mello's fingers dug lightly into her skin at the sound and Eva raised one arm, clutching desperately to Mello's chest as she cried out. "I'm so sorry, Eva."

**So sorry about the wait, I've been totally swamped with assignments at the moment and I still am, so I don't think I can guarantee another update within a week, but I'll try as hard as I can! Thank you to everyone who is enjoying this story, it really does mean a lot!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'M SO SORRY I JUST REALISED THAT I UPLOADED THE NEW CHAPTERS TO THE WRONG STORIES, PLEASE FORGIVE ME! (New chapter coming soon)**

Things had gotten worse. If you had told Eva a week ago that things could possibly have gotten worse, she wouldn't have believed you. But they had, she realised, as she watched Mello break a man's jaw with the side of his gun. Eva didn't flinch at such a display of violence anymore, although she couldn't help but wonder what it was this man had done. Something bad, she thought. Hoped.

Since the day Mello had found out that she had whored her body for money, he had not let Eva out of his sight. Although this was flattering for the first hour, it soon became tiresome and Eva quickly discovered the terrible things Mello did on a daily basis. Of course, she had known that he did not waltz around spreading happiness and good will, but even _she_ was almost shocked at the amount of killings one person was capable of in 24 hours.

Mello had been worried, at first. Worried that she would see that he was becoming a monster and look at him with fear in her eyes, perhaps try to run away from him. But he had decided that it was better she fear him, so long as he could make sure that she was properly protected. He had already failed her once and he was damn sure that he would not let it happen again. He couldn't. She had limped for four god forsaken days and he had felt every inch of her pain, mentally if not physically.

"Isn't it even _more_ dangerous for the men you associate with to see me?" Eva had asked when Mello had told her of his new rule. _Everywhere I go, you go. _When she had looked towards him to argue her point further, she noticed the broken look in his eyes and realised just how much her actions had hurt him. She had never considered _that_ possibility when she had gone home with that man. She was just trying to keep them alive for another month.

It was as though Mello had grieved for both of them, since Eva had shown no signs of distress from the incident (except her awkward walking, which she had continuously tried her best to hide for Mello's sake). He had stopped sleeping and Eva often woke up during the night to see him sitting around reading, or doing nothing much of anything. Eva decided that self-pity was not flattering on him, so she would go along with his stupid rule if it would mean he would feel even a little more like himself.

In hindsight, she supposed she had not thought through the details of his rule. Of course, he had absolutely no intention of having her around any of the deadbeats he associated with. This meant that she was always placed behind Mello protectively with his feathered hood obscuring her face. This seemed excessive to Eva but, once more, she went along with it in the hope of cheering Mello up.

As Eva watched Mello beat the man in front of her to a pulp, she decided that all the murder aside, Mello made things happen in an exceptionally swift manner. He needed to find someone, he found them. He needed someone dead, he killed them. Eva was surprised he had not killed his way into the mafia by now and was exceedingly frustrated by the fact that he was still denied. And over something as pathetic as his age, at that.

"That's all I know!" The now bloodied man cried out and Mello let up on his assault. His breathing was heavier from the excessive strength he had used and he breathed in deeply as he wiped a few stray drops of blood from the side of his face. Not his blood, of course.

Eva let out a sigh as she watched Mello cock his gun, glancing back at her for a moment and locking eyes with her. She could vaguely hear the frantic cries of the man as he begged for his life, but she was more concerned with trying to decipher the cryptic look in Mello's eyes. What was it? Sadness? Fear? Anger? She had never seen it before, and Eva thought she had seen every possible side Mello had to offer. _Disappointment_. She tried not to think about it.

Then, Mello turned away and the moment was over. He pulled the trigger and the man stopped speaking, his head dropping lifelessly to the ground. Mello sniffed as he looked down at him, waiting a moment before turning away and walking past Eva, not sparing her a glance. Eva felt her frustration increasing as she stomped behind Mello, her blood boiling and her fingers twitching. He had been acting distant towards her for far too long now, and she was tired of it.

She reached out and took hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly and stopping him. He didn't turn back towards her, though he stayed perfectly still. Eva thought he was being considerate of her, but Mello was just tired. Too tired to argue, too tired to yell. Just, tired.

"Mello-," Eva started to speak, but he interrupted before she could get another word out.

"We're almost back to the motel. It's too dangerous to stay outside at this time of night." Mello told her curtly, and then waited patiently for her to release his hand. She let her fingers fall away from him slowly and her arm dropped back to her side, her body slumping as she watched him begin walking away from her.

It was as though something snapped in Eva at that moment, because she could not bring herself to take another step. She did not want to follow behind him anymore and, quite frankly, a week in his shadow was more than a lifetime to Eva. Her feet stayed still and her eyes dulled as she watched him walk further away from her, not bothering to let any sort of noise escape her mouth and alert him. She didn't care. He turned a corner and disappeared from her sight and, after another moment, Eva walked away in the opposite direction.

Mello sighed, slowing his pace and closing his eyes tightly. He was developing a terrible headache and he couldn't help but think it was due to all the stress he had felt lately. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked and decided it was time he apologised.

"Eva, look… I'm sorry." Mello spoke, seeing the fluorescent motel sign come into sight in the distance. "I haven't been fair to you lately and I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'll stop being a dick." He told her quietly, and waited a long moment for a reply. He felt his heart beating faster with each silent moment that ticked by and he began to feel angry when she did not respond. Didn't she understand how hard it was for Mello to admit he was wrong?

He turned around, angry words ready to fall from his mouth, and faltered. She wasn't there. His eyebrows pulled together and panic rose inside of him, as he looked around for her frantically. Where _was _she?

"Eva?" He called out, and then slowly began trailing back in the direction he had walked. His pace increased quickly and seconds later, he was running. He turned back around the corner and felt his heart stop when he realised she was not there. He knew that they had only walked straight from this point, and there were several streets on each side of the road that they had not ventured into. Surely she hadn't gone down one of those, had she?

"Eva!" He shouted again, louder this time. His hands were becoming sweaty with each second that passed as he tried to figure out _what had happened._ She had been there. She had been right behind him! Had someone taken her? No, she would have screamed. She would have fought back. He refused to so much as consider the idea that she had disappeared by her own accord because _surely_ she wasn't that stupid. She wasn't stupid at all, Mello knew. If she _had_ walked off deliberately then it could only be because of one reason. Him.

He shook his head and ran towards the nearest side street, turning into it and calling out her name again. He ran through it and came out onto another foreign street, looking both ways before taking off to his left. He couldn't let this happen to her again. No, not again. He wouldn't forgive himself if _anything_ happened to her.

Eva faltered, glancing towards what she could have _sworn_ sounded like her name. Was it Mello?

"Hey, you coming?" She was pulled back to reality by a soft voice and she looked back towards a man with a dishevelled suit and faint stubble. Businessman, probably. Rich, probably. He looked nicer than the last man Eva had gotten into a car with, and he even smiled at her as she looked at him. It was not a devious or cruel smile, either. It was just _warm_.

"Yeah, sorry." She breathed out with a smile, accepting the hand that the man had extended to her and climbing into his expensive car. She closed the door behind her and did not feel uncomfortable when she felt the man place his hand on her knee. He was warm and a good reminder that people were not always cruel, and he was giving her the comfort that Mello had denied her the past week.

"Are you having second thoughts?" He asked her gently, and she was almost surprised that he would offer her a chance to leave. She smiled reassuringly and shook her head.

"No, I just thought I heard something." She told him, and then glanced out of the window as he started the car. It hummed as they pulled away from the sidewalk and, as he stole her off into the night, Eva saw a head of blonde hair and wide eyes zoom past her in a blur.

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think, and also tell me if there's anything you want to see happen in this story (I'm a little stuck with this one at the moment, besides a vague plot line) Favourite and follow if you think it's worthy, and I'll see you all with another update soon! **


	7. Chapter 7

**April 16th, 2005**

Mello was in a bad mood. Worse than usual, in fact. And it was all thanks to that stupid, little albino. _Near_. He had been wandering the halls of Whammy's, looking for Eva. He had found a flower in the garden that was exactly her favourite colour and he had wanted to show her. Of course, he had shoved it into his pocket so no one else saw it and, when he later pulled it out, it was dead.

"Eva!" Mello shouted again, turning into the library. She went in there to write sometimes, so he thought she might be there. And she was. He saw her pretty brown hair and her big brown eyes and he smiled for a moment, before he noticed.

She was practically sitting on top of another child, with her arms wrapped around his neck and her head buried in his chest. And the other child? Near. He was just sitting there, as stoic as ever, but Mello was irked beyond belief. His eye twitched in annoyance and he began to walk towards the pair but, before he could get there, he saw Eva lean up and gently kiss Near's cheek.

Mello was consumed by blind rage as he barrelled towards them, pulling Eva up by the strands of her hair and pushing Near down with the sole of his boot. He did not let go of Eva's hair and he did not move his shoe as he glared between the two of them and, if they were in a comic book, Eva thought she would have seen steam spring from Mello's ears.

"What are you doing with _him?"_ Mello asked, furious, and Eva was quick to defend herself.

"Near just told me that today was the day he lost his parents! I had to do something, Mello!" Eva rushed, her arms flailing as she emphasised her point. Mello narrowed his eyes for a moment before he turned to Near, who was lying completely still under the weight of Mello's shoe. Mello pushed down with more force onto the boy's chest and Near's eyes shot up to his, as if daring him.

"Tch." Mello grumbled, then reluctantly moved his foot. He looked back at Eva for another moment before he stormed out of the library, the dying flower forgotten entirely. Eva took a deep breath before following after him, knowing that if the situation was not rectified immediately that it would only worsen. She walked towards Mello's room, where he was often known to sulk, and gently opened the door.

"Mello?" She muttered, but was halted by a body pushed against hers. Eva's eyes widened as the door slammed loudly behind her. Mello frowned at her slightly, still too angry to think straight and unsure of the feelings rushing through him. It wasn't just his need to be better than Near, it was more than that. It was about someone else having Eva's affection. Someone that wasn't _him._ He was jealous.

"Why did you kiss him?" Mello demanded suddenly, refusing to move even an inch. There was something in his chest that beat wildly at his close proximity to Eva and he refused to let that go away so soon.

"I told you already, Near-,"

"Don't say his name." Mello snarled, and Eva stopped speaking immediately. She stood silently, gazing questioningly at the boy in front of her. What was he doing? And more importantly, why didn't she want him to stop? Of course, she had experienced butterflies in her stomach when Mello smiled at her or held her hand, but _this?_ This was different. This was so much more than that.

"Say _my _name." Mello finally spoke again, and Eva's mouth opened ever so slightly. She blinked unevenly as she processed his words and then, after an agonizing pause, she said it.

"Mello." It was barely a whisper but it sparked something inside of him and before he knew it, he had closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. He panicked, then, because he had never kissed anyone before and he did not know what to do. But as her lips moved hesitantly against his, Mello realised that neither did she. And it was _perfect._

Mello pulled away after a moment and looked at her carefully, unsure of what she would think. And despite everything that Mello stood for, he could have exploded with happiness when a small smile spread across her face.

"That was my first kiss." She said softly, as if it weren't already obvious.

"Good." Mello answered immediately, and Eva looked up at him curiously. "I'll be your first everything. First kiss, first crush, first…" At the slight pause, Mello's cheeks tinged a shade of pale red and Eva felt her whole face flush crimson. What impure thoughts! "You're first everything." Mello finally concluded, and Eva felt herself nodding in agreement.

* * *

"Hey, you listening?" Mello blinked twice, then furrowed his brow. "I really risked my ass getting you this information!" The voice on the other end of his phone boomed and Mello rolled his eyes.

"I'm listening, yeah. So, what's the address?" The man gave him the information Mello needed and he wrote it down on the palm of his hand, only half of his focus on the task at hand. The other half was thinking about Eva, and about how god damned relieved he had been when his phone had rung and he had thought it was _her._ He tried not to think about the girl in that car, with the same hair and eyes and face and lips… It couldn't have been. She couldn't have.

"So, what's so important about this guy anyway?" The voice asked him, and Mello smirked absentmindedly.

"He's my ticket into the mafia, once and for all." Mello muttered, hanging up the phone. He needed to find Eva, but Mello knew that there was nothing he could do at that moment to bring her back.

He knew, deep down, that she would not get herself into anything she could not handle. He had known her long enough to know at least _that_ much. And so, feeling utterly hopeless, he headed in the direction of the address scrawled sloppily on his hand.

Eva absently clasped her bra together on her back, her eyes taking in the large room she was sat in. She pulled her knickers back up her legs and pushed her dishevelled hair over her shoulder. She felt a warm hand on her back and smiled lightly, leaning in to the touch.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" The man asked her lightly and Eva shook her head. She had been relieved when she had not experienced the same, searing pain as last time, although it could hardly be called pleasure. Perhaps she was still not used to it, she thought. The pleasure would come soon.

"No, it was lovely." She told the man, looking over her shoulder and smiling at him.

"Are you leaving?" He asked her, looking at her warily. Eva faltered. _Was she?_

"Do you want me to?" She asked him hesitantly, and after a moment the man shook his head.

"I would very much like it if you stayed." He told her, and Eva couldn't help but smile. It had been so long since someone had been _nice_ to her, and she couldn't get enough of it.

"Well that's that, then." She told him, giggling lightly as she stood up from the bed. She began to saunter around the room, intrigued by it's size. She could feel his eyes watching her but didn't mind it, knowing that he was only admiring her. It was flattering.

She grazed her hand over his dresser and heard a flame behind her. Turning, she noticed the man lighting a cigarette. She looked at the thin stick for a moment before she walked towards him and he looked up at her.

"May I have one of those?" She asked carefully, and he smirked at her as he handed her the smoke he had just lit. She placed the stick between her lips and inhaled, surprised at the taste. At first, she was not sure what all the fuss was about, and then she suddenly felt a calmness overcome her. It was superb, not enough to be called a drug, but just enough to be addictive.

Eva thought about the other addictive thing in her life. The thing that she had experienced only once, and that had left her needy ever since. Mello's lips. They were like heaven on Earth and she clung to the memory of them, slowly fading from her mind. She wondered if she would ever feel them again.

"Hey, are you coming back to bed?" She was pulled from her thoughts by the man's voice and she looked towards him with a smile, nodding her head. She crawled back under the covers and let him slide his arms around her. Her eyes fluttered close and she drifted off to sleep, her dreams plagued with nothing but _him_.

Mello glanced down at the writing on his hand once more before looking back up at the house in front of him. This was the place. He would kill this mobster, bring his body to Rod Ross, and that would be the end of it. Cocking his gun, he stomped towards the house.

He looked around cautiously with every step he took, utterly confused when he did not encounter one guard or, for that matter, even a security alarm. How had this guy never been killed before? Although, Mello would admit that, under different circumstances, this man would have perhaps been more difficult to kill. But Mello had opted for the easy way; he was sneaking into his house and murdering him in his sleep. Simple.

He strolled into the large house and glanced around, noticing a pair of female shoes by the door. Was he married? Or was it just some whore? Either way, Mello supposed he would have to kill her, too. He couldn't leave any witnesses. He walked silently through the house, opening doors and checking for traps, before he finally found his way to the bedroom. He raised his gun and pushed open the door, carefully walking inside.

His eyes focused immediately on the couple lying asleep in bed. The mobster was on his back and beside him, the small figure of a woman slept on her side. Thinking about it, he decided it would be best to kill her first. If he didn't, she could start screaming and alert the neighbours.

Mello walked to her side of the bed and pointed the gun at her sleeping frame. He couldn't quite tell, what with the lack of lighting, but he thought she looked rather pretty. Intrigued for a just a second, he reached out a hand and swept the protruding hair from her face. When she was properly revealed to him, Mello's breath caught in his throat and he almost had a heart attack right there.

"_Eva?_"


	8. Chapter 8

Mello stood, frozen in place. He saw her eyes begin to open but didn't have the strength to move away, certainly not to pull the trigger on his gun. He didn't have the strength to comprehend this situation in the slightest, though he was terrified of what he would do once the reality had sunk in. How could she be _here_, of all places? Mello tried not to look at her discarded clothes beside the bed, and he certainly tried not to look at the laced black bra now visible on her body, from where the sheet had slipped down.

Her eyes opened lightly and she looked at him immediately, her gaze drawn to him. When her eyes widened and she whispered his name in the smallest voice he had ever heard, something inside of Mello snapped. That terrified noise was all the confirmation he needed that _yes,_ this was _exactly _what it looked like. He let a feral growl escape his mouth before he was backing away from her, heading around the other side of the bed. Without a moment of hesitation he pulled the duvet completely off the bed and, without taking note of the half naked bodies he exposed, he aimed the barrel of his gun at the man's kneecap and pulled the trigger.

He screamed immediately, his eyes darting open and looking around for the source of the threat. When he saw Mello his eyes narrowed into little slits and he looked him up and down, assessing him. This pissed Mello off beyond reason, the thought that this scumbag thought he was _better_ than Mello, and before he knew it another bullet had been fired into the man's other knee.

Eva let out a gasp, her hands flying to cover her mouth as she watched in horror. She was so confused and she could feel tears brimming in her eyes. She didn't understand why Mello was here, how he had found her. She didn't know whether she wanted to protect the man lying beside her from Mello's violent outburst, or if she wanted to see herself out, wait for Mello outside and try her best to forget about this like she had every other time Mello had pulled the trigger on a gun. But Eva knew that she couldn't stand by and let Mello kill this man. Previously, the men had all been murderers or thieves or people with the wrong connections, and Eva had justified Mello's killings as the lesser of two evils. But _now?_ This man did not deserve the pain Mello could inflict. Eva was sure of it.

"Who the hell are you? What, you owe me money or somethin'? Tryin' to get outta your debts?" The man growled as he clutched to his bloodied legs, and Eva looked at him in confusion. Mello only narrowed his eyes before cocking his gun again, this time aiming in between the man's beady eyes.

"Mello!" Eva shouted, before he could pull the trigger, and both of the men's eyes were on her in an instant. Eva saw the look of pain in Mello's eyes, more emotion than she had seen from him in a long while, and she thought that he looked genuinely unsure about whether to pull the trigger. The other man studied their silent interaction for a moment before a menacing smirk made its way across his face, followed by a cruel chuckle.

"Ah, I understand now. This your whore?" Mello's eyes darted back to the man in anger and Eva felt like she had just been slapped across the face. _But she was a whore_, her brain whispered cruelly. She wasn't sure if she had any right to deny the harsh accusation.

"Shut up." Mello snarled dangerously, a tone in his voice Eva had never heard. It only seemed to amuse the man, who was determined to push Mello further.

"Don't you want to hear about the way she moaned my name when she came?" Eva immediately thought about the fact that she certainly didn't come and, on second thought, didn't even know this man's name. She wanted to tell Mello it was a lie, but the man continued. "She has such a supple little body, and a tight little pussy as well. Makes me wonder if you've ever even _fucked_ her."

Eva felt a tear drop from her eye and wet her exposed stomach and she sat in wallowing self-pity for only a moment longer before she felt something spark inside her – something fierce. She immediately decided she had spent far too much time with Mello, and that she could perhaps understand his violent outbursts if this was how he felt all the time. She reached to the floor and found the pocket of Mello's jacket that she had, once again, been wearing. Her fingers wrapped around the switchblade inside and she bit down on her lip as she pulled it out and aimed it at the man.

"Shut the _fuck _up." She muttered, sounding more pathetic than angry, though it was enough to catch his attention. He glanced away from Mello and looked at the knife in her hand before another deadly smirk made its way across his face.

"And what are you planning to do with that, princess?" He asked her in a snarl and her fingers tightened around the blade, her eyes dropping to his exposed neck for a moment. _Could she really do this?_ The man noticed her wandering eyes and his smirk grew. He grabbed her wrist suddenly and Mello felt his finger twitch on the gun, hesitant to fire with Eva in such close proximity.

The man guided her hand towards him and placed the blade of the knife against his neck, his eyes daring her. Eva gulped and felt her hand begin to shake and, when he let go of her wrist, the blade felt much heavier than it had before. She stared intently at his pale neck, her eyes wide and her mind racing.

"Eva, get out of the way." She heard Mello say, but she didn't register it. The man's cruel words replayed inside her mind and she pressed the knife ever so slightly into his skin. She thought about the last man she had gone home with and the obvious difference this man had been. Eva had only gotten into his car because he seemed so _nice_, and she immediately felt stupid for believing such a farce.

"Just like I thought, you're too weak to do it. You're nothing more than a tight, little cunt-," Eva pressed down hard with the blade and, egged on by the words falling easily from the man's mouth, dragged the knife quickly across his neck. She didn't want to hear what he was saying.

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment, then, as if time had stopped. Then, Eva saw red seeping from the cut in his neck and vaguely registered the warmth of the blood as it flickered onto her face. She saw the man's wide eyes as he realised what she had done and felt his hands gripping to her waist, clinging to her desperately.

She was frozen, couldn't move, let the blade drop from her fingers as the man dropped to the floor below. She felt arms wrap around her and realised she was being pulled off of the bed, out of the room. Her eyes were wide and she could feel them burning because she had forgotten how to blink, but didn't register the pain. Only felt Mello's heart beating in his chest and felt the need to pull him closer, to listen to that steady sound forever and remind her that he was here, and he was _alive._

He placed her down gently inside the front hallway of the house, beside the door. He knelt down beside her and pulled his fingers through her hair gently, unsure of how to calm her. He hadn't been able to react, been able to stop her before she had slashed his throat. Mello knew that he shouldn't have let her do that and he wondered if he would ever forgive himself for not stopping her. She was a mess, he could see, and he didn't know how to fix her.

"I'll be back. Just wait here for me, alright?" He asked her gently and, after giving her another hesitant look, he walked back into the bedroom.

Eva stared at the empty hallway as she waited and vaguely wondered why there were no pictures on the walls – no photos of family or fond memories of youth. She remembered back at Whammy's house, the millions of pictures that plagued the hallways there. Every child that had ever lived at Whammy's could find their photo somewhere, and Eva often wandered the halls in search of specific faces. It was a game she had liked to play, a good way to pass two, or maybe three hours.

She remembered when she had once searched for Mello's picture and had almost given up, when she spotted it. It was hanging from the wall outside of L's private office, and Eva had been vaguely jealous that _he _had been given a spot within such close proximity to the great detective. Mello had later bragged that L had personally requested Mello's to be hung there and, although Eva told him he was a liar, she believed the story completely. After all, L had always favoured the blonde headed boy. Eva couldn't blame him, really. She had to admit that Mello was by far one of, if not _the_ brightest student at Whammy's. He had incredible physical strength and, though at times his mentality was questionable, Eva had always looked up to him.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Mello, his clothes bloody and a black bin bag held in his hand. She tried not to think about what might have been inside it.

Mello glanced at her questioningly for another moment before offering her his clean hand, which she took immediately. They walked in silence as they hurried back to the motel, Eva shivering in her thin singlet as Mello hid his bloodied clothes beneath his parka. Mello thought about the way Rod Ross would react when Mello presented him with the head of an infamous mobster, and decided that there was _no way_ he could be rejected again after this.

He glanced beside him and saw Eva was deep in thought. Mello felt terrible when he realised she was probably thinking about what she had just done and he instinctively wrapped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her into him, both for warmth and comfort.

But Eva was not thinking about the man she had just killed. She was thinking about _Mello._ She was thinking about all the times he had saved her at Whammy's, all the bullies he had defended her from and all the hidings he had taken in her place. And he had saved her again now, Eva thought, from that man. She felt terrible for running from him, for putting him in that situation and making him act the way he had, but Eva was determined to make it up to him.

She felt her heart racing as she breathed him in and she clutched to the material of his jacket as he held her by his side. And as they walked silently back towards the little motel they called home, Eva had only one thought swirling inside her mind. _Don't fall in love. _She secretly thought it might have already been too late.


End file.
